Khurasiya, Yadav sparkle as Central Zone make final

Openers Jai P Yadav and skipper Amay Khurasiya were in blistering form as they starred in Central Zone's astonishingly facile victory over West Zone in the Deodhar Trophy semifinal at Green Park in Kanpur on Tuesday.

West Zone, with centuries by skipper Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Jacob Martin, ran up a total of 270 for four wickets in 50 overs. But Central Zone made light of what looked to be a tough target, losing only two wickets and winning with as many as 9.2 overs to spare.

Opting to bat, West Zone made a disastrous start losing openers Connor Williams (5) and Wasim Jaffer (7) with only 16 runs on the board. While Williams was bowled by Sriwastava, Jaffer was run out. But then the two former India players Kanitkar and Martin took charge and hammered the bowlers during their third wicket partnership which added 184 runs off 30.3 overs. The left handed Kanitkar, who was the more aggressive of the two, was bowled by Jai Yadav for 122 for which he faced only 104 balls. The 26-year-old Maharashtra all rounder hit 15 fours and two sixes. After his departure, Martin went for the bowling and he and Robin Morris (16) added 42 runs off 8.3 overs for the fourth wicket. Martin, who reached his century in the last over of the innings, remained unbeaten with 102. The 28-year-old Baroda batsman, who has represented the country in eight ODI's, compiled his runs off 118 balls and hit ten of them to the ropes. Among the bowlers, only Shalabh Sriwastava (2 for 35 off nine overs) and Murali Kartik (none for 39 off ten overs) were able to control the run rate somewhat.

In the face of a stiff target, Jai Yadav and Khurasiya were far from overawed. The duo from Madhya Pradesh went for the bowling from the start and did pretty much what they liked with the seam attack of Siddiqui, Mhambrey and Saxena. By the time Khurasiya was out for a rollicking 86, the first wicket partnership had put on 158 runs off just 15.5 overs. The 28-year-old Khurasiya, who has represented the country in ten ODI's, scored his runs off just 51 balls and he hit 14 fours and two sixes. There was no respite for the beleaguered West Zone bowlers even after Khurasiya's departure for Yadav and Md Kaif then came together in a second wicket partnership that realised 83 runs off 15 overs. By the time Yadav was out at 241 in the 31st over, Central Zone were well on their way to an easy victory. The 26-yearold Yadav's 101 was compiled off only 84 balls and he hit 14 of them to the ropes. Kaif and Gagan Khoda applied the finishing touches with a leisurely unbeaten third wicket partnership of 33 runs off 9.4 overs as Central coasted to a remarkable victory. Kaif, who remained unbeaten with 51 off 90 balls hit three boundaries.

Central Zone now take on South Zone in the final to be played at Lucknow on December 21.